India has the world's richest
collection of rock art. The rock paintings of Ajanta and Ellora are well known.
India's heritage of rock art spans from pre-historic period to present times. Even
today women in villages decorate their homes by painting walls with natural
pigments and vegetable dyes. The central India is rich in rock art, some of which
can be traced to pre-historic period. Bhimbetka is about 50 km from the
city of Bhopal, 3 km off the National Highway joining Bhopal to Hoshangabad.

It is a group of caves on a
picturesque rocky hill. Each cave is an art gallery of beautiful
rock paintings. Some of the paintings belong to a period earlier than
five thousand years and may be as old as 10,000 years. But the changing style of paintings from that of simple
line drawings in single colour to use of different colours, depiction of
human figures on horsebacks
carrying swords and shields, horses and elephants indicate
that the rock art at Bhimbetka evolved over several millennium. The paintings at Bhimbetka depict animals,
hunting and magical scenes, and scenes from everyday life.

In some pictures the impact of
motion has been strikingly created. There are pictures
showing running herd of animals and warriors attacking each
other.

An album of rock art has been put
on this website. Individual pictures can be accessed from their thumbnails.

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comments on this website and additional information on Bhimbetka to